Elena’s POV
The first headline hit two days after Adrian slipped the ring onto my finger. I wasn’t ready, not for the sudden storm, the endless ringing of my phone, the way my name, which had once only existed on book covers and small literary blogs, was now plastered across tabloid websites.
COLE HEIR ENGAGED TO NEPHEWS' EX-GIRLFRIEND
The headline made my stomach twist. The photo wasn’t even new; it was from the hospital gala, the night Rachel had first made her reappearance. Adrian’s hand rested on the small of my back in the picture, my body leaning naturally into his. It should have been romantic. Instead, it had become ammunition.
Later that night I was curled up on the couch with my laptop open, attempting edits on my manuscript, when the news alert popped up. My chest tightened
